Triangular-Shaped Plunger Head and Toilet Plunger Having the Same

ABSTRACT

A triangular-shaped plunger head has a construction to make a sealing contact with a triangular-shaped toilet drain hole. The plunger head includes a triangular-shaped bottom wall and a triangular-shaped bottom edge that has three rounded corners and three straight sides, one side extending between a different pair of rounded corners. A triangular-shaped lip is formed around an opening through the bottom wall. The triangular-shaped lip includes three rounded corners and three straight sides, one side extending between a different pair of rounded corners.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/108,587, filed Jan. 28, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to toilet plungers, and moreparticularly, relating to a triangular-shaped plunger head and a toiletplunger having the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Toilet plungers have been in use for years and conventionally have acircular-shaped plunger head or cup. Some newer toilets havetriangular-shaped drain holes, and conventional circular-shaped plungerheads are incapable of making a sealing contact with thetriangular-shaped drain holes for the plunger to work properly inclearing a clogged drain. Accordingly, a desire and need exists for anew toilet plunger head and toilet plunger having the same that providesan adequate seal for the newly designed toilet drain holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing problems with existing toilet plungers,embodiments of the present invention provide a new triangular-shapedplunger head and toilet plunger having the same. The plunger head has anovel design that makes a sealing contact between the plunger head and atriangular-shaped drain hole of a toilet bowl.

In general, in one aspect, a triangular-shaped plunger head for aplunger is provided. The triangular-shaped plunger head includes atriangular-shaped bottom edge having first, second, and third roundedcorners, a first straight side extending between the first and secondrounded corners, a second straight side extending between the second andthird rounded corners, and a third straight side extending between thethird and first rounded corners. Further included is a bottom wall, anopening through the bottom wall, and a lip formed around the opening.The lip being triangular shape and includes fourth, fifth, and sixthrounded corners, a fourth straight side extending between said fourthand fifth rounded corners, a fifth straight side extending between saidfifth and sixth rounded corners, and a sixth straight side extendingbetween said sixth and fourth rounded corners.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood and in order that the presentcontribution he art may be better appreciated.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbe readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a readingof the following detailed description of presently preferred, butnonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages,and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be hadto the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there areillustrated embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included toprovide further understanding of the invention for the purpose ofillustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attemptis made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detailthan is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, thedescription taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled inthe art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied inpractice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate anidentical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used toindicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. Inthe drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a triangular-shaped plunger head andtoilet plunger having the same that is constructed in accordance withthe principles of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the triangular-shaped plungerhead and toilet plunger having the same;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the triangular-shaped plunger head;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of triangular-shaped plunger head;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the triangular-shaped plunger headand toilet plunger having the same; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the triangular-shaped plunger head,shown in use, in connection with a toilet having a triangular-shapeddrain hole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-5, there is representatively illustrated a newtoilet plunger that is constructed in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention and is designated by reference number 10.

In the representatively illustrated embodiment, the toilet plunger 10has an elongated handle 12 that is connected to a plunger head 14. Thehandle 12 is constructed of a rigid material. The handle 12 has a firstend 16 and a second end 18, and is representatively shown as beingcylindrically shaped. The first end 16 includes a rubber grip 20 forholding the plunger 10 and the second end 18 is connected to the plungerhead 14 at a coupling 22 located on the top of the plunger head.

The plunger head 14 has a novel triangular shape that is designed tomaking a sealing contact with triangular-shaped toilet drain holes. Theplunger head 14 is cup shaped and is made of a flexible and resilientmaterial, such as rubber, for example. The plunger head 12 is triangularshaped in cross-section and includes a bottom edge 24 having threerounded corners 26 a, 26 b, and 26 c and three straight sides 28 a, 28b, and 28 c. Side 28 a extends between corners 26 a and 26 b, side 28 bextends between corners 26 b and 26 c, and side 28 c extends betweencorners 26 c and 26 a.

The plunger 14 further includes a triangular-shaped opening 30 formedthrough a bottom wall 32. A lip 34 is formed around the circumference ofopening 30 and extends generally perpendicular to bottom wall 32.Similar to edge 24, lip 34 includes three rounded corners 36 a, 36 b,and 36 c and three straight sides 38 a, 38 b, and 38 c. Side 38 aextends between corners 36 a and 36 b, side 38 b extends between corners36 b and 36 c, and side 38 c extends between corners 36 c and 36 a.

With reference to FIG. 6, there is shown a partial view of a toilet 40(from the underside) having a triangular-shaped drain hole 42 and withthe plunger head 14 making sealing contact with the drain hole 42. Ashown, the edge 24 and the bottom wall 32 contact the toilet bowl 40 ata position around the drain hole 42 and the lip 34 extends into thedrain to create a sealing contact between the plunger head 14 and thetoilet bowl 40. In operation, the plunger 10 is manipulated in aconventional manner to dear a clog.

A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention andthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet plunger comprising: a triangular-shapedplunger head having a bottom edge, a bottom wall, an opening throughsaid bottom wall, and a lip formed around said opening; said bottom edgebeing triangular shaped and including first, second, and third roundedcorners, a first straight side extending between said first and secondrounded corners, a second straight side extending between said secondand third rounded corners, and a third straight side extending betweensaid third and first rounded corners; said lip being triangular shapedand includes fourth, fifth, and sixth rounded corners, a fourth straightside extending between said fourth and fifth rounded corners, a fifthstraight side extending between said fifth and sixth rounded corners,and a sixth straight side extending between said sixth and fourthrounded corners; and a handle having first and second ends, said secondend connected to said triangular shaped plunger head.
 2. The toiletplunger of claim 1, wherein said opening is triangular shaped.
 3. Thetoilet plunger of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall is triangularshaped.
 4. The toilet plunger of claim 1, wherein said lip extendsgenerally perpendicular to said bottom wall.
 5. The toilet plunger ofclaim 1, wherein said triangular-shaped plunger head is constructed of aresilient material.
 6. The toilet plunger of claim 5, wherein saidresilient material is rubber.
 7. A triangular-shaped plunger head for aplunger, the triangular-shaped plunger head comprising: atriangular-shaped bottom edge having first, second, and third roundedcorners, a first straight side extending between said first and secondrounded corners, a second straight side extending between said secondand third rounded corners, and a third straight side extending betweensaid third and first rounded corners; a bottom wall; an opening throughsaid bottom wall; and a lip formed around said opening, said lip beingtriangular shape and having fourth, fifth, and sixth rounded corners, afourth straight side extending between said fourth and fifth roundedcorners, a fifth straight side extending between said fifth and sixthrounded corners, and a sixth straight side extending between said sixthand fourth rounded corners.
 8. The triangular-shaped plunger head ofclaim 7, wherein said lip extends generally perpendicular to said bottomwall.
 9. The triangular-shaped plunger head of claim 7, wherein saidtriangular shaped plunger head is constructed of a resilient material.10. The triangular shaped plunger head of claim 9, wherein saidresilient material is rubber.